Ensilage cutter and loader



Dec. 7, 1954 M. L. HUFF ENSILAGE CUTTER AND LOADER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 24, 1953 INVENTOR. MERLIN L. HUFl-T A7 TORNEX Deg. 7, 1954 V M. HUFF 2,696,375

ENSILAGE CUTTER AND LOADER Filed Aug. 24, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. M524 /N L. HUFF.

ENSlLAGE CUTTER Mania L. Huh, fiuckeye, Applicafidil August 24, 1953; Serial N: 376,077 3 claim. ((31. 262 9) others suggested which make use of a form* of screwco'rrveyor which will feed the ensilage oh'to abelt con veyor. These devices were found objectionable because it was necessary to cut and loosen the" ensilage by'lflandor with auxiliary cutting and loosening rnechanis'rn before it could be handledby the screw conveyor.

In View of the foregoing,- o'neof the objects' ofthis invention is the provision of an ensilage cutter which-will not only loosen and cut the compacted easing but-will also convey it to a' vehicle n' h ch t withers Another object of this invehtion is to" provide an silage cutter consisting of two spir a trough in order to carry I positioned conveyor leadingto the haulage vehicle; spi'ral conveyors being arranged to act as cutters to cut afid loosen the compacted ensilage as well" as'to co'nvey'it to a' centrally positioned belt conveyor leadidg to the vehiclto be loaded. I I n I H c A still further object is'the" provision of spiral ensilage conveyors and cutters, held iii a frame work so that theyi can be' forced into the bottom of cohipa'cted' trenched ensilage and then raised to the top of the ensilage cutting and loosening the ensilage during"; the raising op'e'ratioii'.

A still further object is the provision of a pivotally' su ported trough of shield, enclosing the rear portion of s'aig" spiral ensilage cutters, arranged so that itcan'bep'ositio' below said cutters to catch all ensilage loosened, and so" that its front edge may be maintained close to the com-Q pasted ensilage throughout the-entire upward cutting and" loading motion of the cuttersand conveyors.

Other objects wilrappear hereinafter;

I attainthe foregoing objects by rneans of the devices, parts, and corribiiiation of parts illustrated in' the accompanying drawi'rigs'in which Figure 1 IS a side elevational view of my improvedensilage cutter and conveyor; 1

Figure 2 is a plan view thereof; n n v Figure 3 is a vertical section taken through the spiral cutter and conveyor assembly substantially on line 3 -3 of Figure 2 and drawn on a somewhat enlarged scale.

Referring to Figure l of the drawings the tubular conveyor body 2 is pivotally mounted near its rear or delivery end on a frame 3 extending upwardly from a self-propelled vehicle 4 by means of a transverse shaft 5.

An ensilage cutting head 6 is at the outer end of the conveyor body 2 and a delivery chute 7 at its inner or delivery end. Spiral ensilage cutters 8 and 9 operate in the front part of the cutting head on transverse shaft 10.

The vehicle 4 includes forward driving wheels 11 on frame 12, rear steering wheels 14 and an engine 15, including conventional driving and control mechanism. Since the vehicle and its engine are accessory to the invention these parts are shown in dotted outline in Figure 1.

For the purpose of operating the conveyor body 2, and other parts essential to the ensilage cutting mechanism,

United States Pillffif- O a erigineJ-idrivs arr. oil.pump.16, and a sprocket 17 on shaft 13 through suitablegearing and clutch mechanism; Chain 20 runs over. sprocket 17 and drives sprocket 21 on shaft 5. This shaft is live and acts not only as a pivot shaft, but also as 'a. drive shaft for operating the couveyorrnechanisrn and cutting head mechanism.

Within the tubular conveyor body 2; which has a rec'- ta'n'gula'r cross section;- there is an endless conveyor chain 23 which runs on sprockets on transverse driving shaft 24 near the inner end 25 of the body and a driven shaft 26 at the outer end of the body. Conveyor chain 23 carries anumber of transverse slats 27 which act' as pushers rearwardly along the bottom 28 delivery chute 7.

Chain 22 runs over sprocket driving shaft 24 near end of driven shaft26, as viewed in Figure 1', carries a sprocket 30 on which chain 31 runs and drives sprocket- 32 on transverse cutter-shaft 10. As shown in Figure 2 cutters direct-ions; and when shaft 10 is rotated counterclock wise; as viewed-in Figure I tend to force loosened ensilage toward the center of shaftltl.

Shaft Kit is journall'ejd near its end portions in bearings 33 set in side plates 34' of cutter head frame 35. Transverse frame" plates 35% form" enclosing shields and suppo'rts for plates'34; and are secured to and supported on' the outer end of conveyor body 2.

To enable the plates 34 to be forced into compacted ensilage 3:6 1 pioilide a toothed wheel 3'7 at the right end of shaft" 11), Figure 2; and add outwardly extending cutting teeth .3 8.to the links of chain 31 on the left hand side'gof he adjtii' of the body 2' toward 29 on the near end of Yfil p trbugh 461 This has've'rtib'al supporting plates 41' ate'ach' end which are journalled by bearings 42 on shaft 19' and disposed within plates 34. ,Troughflflswings in aii arcuate path beneath these cutters. In order tof control its po ition I'prbv'i'de a hydraulic cylinder 43 havi'ri'g its inner end 44 pivotallyattached' to lu'g 45 on th'e'undei' side of yor' bod 2 and its piston rod 46 connect-ed to a radially exteri mg'lug 47 on the uiider surface of trough 4 Extension er the piston red r this cylihdejrj will n t'r'ou'gh' 40' forwardly and bring its forward edge or up; 48 into substantial contact with compacted ensi age 36; As hea'd 6 is raised during the cutting operation, was: m be ext n brio'f Pis od' 6' om cylinder 43. I Operation of the piston is attained by fore; ing oil under pressure from pump 16. into or drawing it from the ends of the cyli der through tubes 51} as controlledbydouble acting-valveSl. V, p v

Anotch 60 is cut in the rear edge of trough 40 at a position adjacent the outer end opening of, conveyor body 2. A plate 62 ishinged to the bottom of thisnotch and} extends into theouter end of theconveyor body where} it rests onthe bottom plate relation therewith";

body and aifords a" supporting platform for loosened ensilage'asit is moved into the conveyor.

Pivotal motioh of conveyor body 2 on shaft 5' is provided by piston rods 52" having their outer ends hinged is the bottom" of the conveyor at 53. hydraulic cylinders 54, pivotally attached to portions of the uprights of frame 3. These cylinders are connected by tubing 55 to pump 16, and their operation controlled ered to the position indicated by dotted outlines 6a, Fig- 52 raises the outer end and retraction of Patented Dec. 7, 1954 or scrapers and convey cut and loosened ensilage and over a" sprocket 19 on shaft 5. The" 8' and 9 have their helices pitched in opposite tedby is" as 28 and is disposed in' slidable As thetrough is rocked" or swungthe' plate extends into or is withdrawnfrom the conveyor.

and operating. in

ure 1, using valve 56. The helical cutters are set in motion, being driven from shaft 17 through the several chains and sprockets, as above explained, and revolve in a counterclockwise direction. when the spiral edges of the cutters 8 and 9 are forced into the compacted ensilage it is cut and loosened and falls into trough 40. The cutters then act as screw conveyors and move the ensilage in the trough to its center portion where it is crowded rearward over platform plate 62 toward the open outer end of the conveyor body. From this position the ensilage is picked up by the slats 27 and conveyed to the delivery end of the conveyor body, and to chute 7 from which it may be loaded into any desired conveyance.

Since the front ends of the cutter head side plates 34 engage the wall 36a of compacted ensilage and impede the entrance of the cutter head into the ensilage it is necessary to cut away ensilage on each outer side of these plates. Toothed wheel 37 serves this purpose on the right hand side of the head, and chain 31 with cutters 38 acts in the same way on the left side. These lateral cutters clear the way for the frame parts so that the spiral cutters are free to attack the ensilage.

At the bottom of the cutting movement trough 404s retracted as indicated at 6a so that the cutters 8 and 9 may be brought close to the base of the compressed ensilage. The bottom of the trench serves the purpose of the trough 40 insofar as it catches and holds loosened ensilage so the spiral cutters, acting as conveyors, can move it inward toward plate 62. Thereafter, as the cutting head moves upward in an arc the lip 48 of trough 40 is moved and kept close to the wall 36a. In this way trough 40 catches substantially all ensilage loosened and minimizes waste as the operator raises the cutting head, controlling its movement by valve 56, he advances vehicle 4 and keeps it in proper forward position by the use of controls 57.

From the foregoing it will be noted and understood that the ensilage is loosened, conveyed and loaded without the need for hand labor, and in a rapid and efiicient manner.

I claim:

1. In an ensilage cutter and loader for cutting compacted ensilage from trench silos and conveying the loosened ensilage into vehicles, including a self propelled directable vehicle having a body, with a front end and a rear end, an engine, and a frame extending upwardly from the rear end of said body, the combination therewith of a tubular conveyer body having a front end and a rear end pivotally supported at its rear end on said frame and extending forward over and ahead of said vehicle body, a cutting head including a transversely extending frame atfixed to the front end of said tubular conveyer body and end plates supporting bearings, manually controlled mechanism powered by said vehicle engine for raising and lowering the front end of said conveyer body, a conveyer chain operating longitudinally in said conveyer and driven by said vehicle engine, a transverse shaft journalled in end plates of said cutting head driven by said vehicle engine, ensilage cutters on said transverse shaft having spiral cutting edges of opposite pitch acting as screw conveyers conveying ensilage toward the center of said transverse shaft, an arcuate conveyer trough having end plates journalled and supported adjacent the end portions of said transverse shaft, a manually controlled hydraulically operated piston mechanism swinging said trough beneath and in back of said spiral cutters and screw conveyers; and a plate hinged to the central portion of said trough and 4 extending into the open outer end of said tubular conveyer body forming a conveying platform from said trough to said tubular conveyer body, and toothed cutters on the outer ends of said transverse shaft loosening ensilage on each side of said cutter head.

2. In an ensilage cutter and loader for cutting compacted ensilage from trench silos and conveying the loosened ensilage into vehicles, including a self propelled directable vehicle having a body, with a front end and a rear end, an engine, and a frame extending upwardly from the rear end of said body, the combination therewith of a tubular conveyer body having a front end and a rear delivery end having a loading chute pivotally supported adjacent its rear end on said frame and extending forward over and ahead of said vehicle body, a cutting head including a transversely extending frame alfixed to the front end of said tubular conveyer body and end plates supporting bearings, manually controlled mechanism powered by said vehicle engine for raising and lowering the front end of said conveyer body, a conveyer chain operating longitudinally in said conveyer conveying cut ensilage from the front end of said conveyer body to the rear end thereof and driven by said vehicle engine, a transverse shaft journalled in end plates of said cutting head driven by said vehicle engine, ensilage cutters on said transverse shaft having spiral cutting edges of opposite pitch acting as screw conveyers conveying ensilage toward the center of said transverse shaft, an arcuate conveyer trough having a notch in the central portion of its rear edge end plates journalled and supported adjacent the end portions of said transverse shaft, a manually controlled hydraulically operated piston mechanism swinging said trough beneath and in back of said spiral cutters and screw conveyers; and a plate hinged in the said notch in the central portion of said trough, extending into the open outer end of said tubular conveyer body resting on the bottom thereof and forming a conveying platform from said trough to said tubular conveyer body, and toothed cutters on the outer ends of said transverse shaft loosening ensilage on each side of said cutter head.

3. In an ensilage cutter and loader of the type described, a tubular conveyer body having a front end with a transverse cutting head thereon and a rear end with a transverse pivotal support thereon, a conveyer operating from front to rear within said conveyer body; said conveyer head including transverse plates, end plates, bearings in said end plates, a transverse shaft journalled -in said bearings, combination spiral ensilage cutters and screw conveyers on said shaft, means for rotating said shaft so that the outer front edges of said cutters attack said ensilage with a downward arcuate motion, end cutters on said shaft clearing ensilage from in front of the end plates of said cutting head, and an arcuate transverse conveyer trough swingably disposed beneath said spirial cutters having a front edge substantially contacting ensilage being cut and a notched rear edge hingedly supporting a platform communicating with said conveyer trough, and manually controlled mechanism for swinging and positioning said trough.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 779,442 Richmond et al J an. 10, 1905 1,811,927 Halleck June 30, 1931 1,882,629 James Oct. 11, 1932 2,669,338 Kling Feb. 16, 1954 

